Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    Student Housing
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
Ticker circle logo

The Ticker

Breaking news from all corners of academe.

Second Former Vanderbilt Athlete Is Found Guilty in 2013 Campus Rape

By Charles Huckabee June 19, 2016

A former football player at Vanderbilt University was found guilty on Saturday in the rape of an unconscious woman in his dormitory room nearly three years ago, reports

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

A former football player at Vanderbilt University was found guilty on Saturday in the rape of an unconscious woman in his dormitory room nearly three years ago, reports The Tennessean.

The former player, Brandon Vandenburg, is one of four men who have been charged in the case. He and one of the others, Cory Batey, were convicted in a trial in January 2015, but those verdicts were thrown out after revelations regarding one of the jurors led to a mistrial. At a second trial, held in April, Mr. Batey was found guilty of aggravated rape and other charges. He faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 to 25 years at his sentencing, which is scheduled for next month.

In Mr. Vandenburg’s case, the jury deliberated 4½ hours before delivering its verdicts on Saturday night. He was found guilty on all eight counts against him, including aggravated rape, aggravated sexual battery, and unlawful photography, the newspaper said. He, too, faces a sentence of 15 to 25 years. A sentencing date has not been set.

ADVERTISEMENT

Two other accused men, Jaborian (Tip) McKenzie and Brandon E. Banks, have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

The charges against all four stem from an incident that occurred in Mr. Vandenburg’s dorm room in June 2013 after he and the victim had partied at a bar.

In emotional testimony on Friday, the victim said she did not remember a period of hours between sipping a drink that Mr. Vandenburg had given her at the bar and waking up in his bed the next morning, alone and in pain. She said that at first she believed what Mr. Vandenburg had told her: that she had become sick from drinking and that he had taken care of her.

Several days later, detectives who had seen surveillance video of her being carried into Mr. Vandenburg’s dorm persuaded her to go to a hospital for a rape examination.

Vanderbilt is among scores of colleges that are being investigated for possible violations of the federal gender-equity law known as Title IX in their handling of allegations of sexual violence. See more about the Vanderbilt case and other investigations on The Chronicle’s Title IX Tracker.

Also see an article by Katherine Mangan in The Chronicle about two other high-profile cases of campus sexual assault involving athletes.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
Charles Huckabee
About the Author
Charles Huckabee
Charles Huckabee was an editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Protesters gather outside the Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14, 2025 to protest the Trump administrations cuts at the agency.
An Uncertain Future
The Education Department Got a Green Light to Shrink. Here Are 3 Questions About What’s Next.
Susie West and Dianne Davis-Keening, U of M Extension SuperShelf coordinators.
A 'Connector' Severed
Congress Cut a Federal Nutrition Program, Jeopardizing Campus Jobs and Community Services
PPP 10 FINAL promo.jpg
Bouncing Back?
For Once, Public Confidence in Higher Ed Has Increased
University of California, Berkeley chancellor Dr. Rich Lyons, testifies at a Congressional hearing on antisemitism, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on July 15, 2025. It is the latest in a series of House hearings on antisemitism at the university level, one that critics claim is a convenient way for Republicans to punish universities they consider too liberal or progressive, thereby undermining responses to hate speech and hate crimes. (Photo by Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP)
Another Congressional Hearing
3 College Presidents Went to Congress. Here’s What They Talked About.

From The Review

Photo-based illustration with repeated images of a student walking, in the pattern of a graph trending down, then up.
The Review | Opinion
7 Ways Community Colleges Can Boost Enrollment
By Bob Levey
Illustration of an ocean tide shaped like Donald Trump about to wash away sandcastles shaped like a college campus.
The Review | Essay
Why Universities Are So Powerless in Their Fight Against Trump
By Jason Owen-Smith
Photo-based illustration of a closeup of a pencil meshed with a circuit bosrd
The Review | Essay
How Are Students Really Using AI?
By Derek O'Connell

Upcoming Events

07-31-Turbulent-Workday_assets v2_Plain.png
Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times
Ascendium_Housing_Plain.png
What It Really Takes to Serve Students’ Basic Needs: Housing
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin